december issue of the prowler
DESCRIPTION
December issue of the Prowler features a holida themeTRANSCRIPT
The ProwlerVolume 41 Issue 4 Dec. 15, 2011 600 S. Smiley St.,O’Fallon Ill.
www.OTHStoday.com www.facebook.com/OTHStoday [email protected] twitter@OTHStoday
On December 1-4, crowds flooded to the Milburn cafeteria for the 34th annual Madri-gals dinner performed
by OTHS’s own choral department. Two types of performance nights were available for purchase. One was the “Beggars Night,” which consisted of light snacks and beverages, while the other was a full course dinner served with chicken cordon bleu, salad, pasta and cheesecake.
The night started off with a friendly introduction from the jesters of the Royal Court junior George Rushing and senior Rachel Walton along with the chamberlain and chamber lady seniors Jason Rambo and Danielle Long. After the brief introduction, the rest of the cast entered the room and took their seats while Rushing and Walton gave the hilarious dining rules for the audience. For example, one of the rules allowed flatulence at the dinner table while eating and even implemented the “Five Second Rule” as well. Throughout the night, the court sang several songs to the audience in a wonderful and clearly defined a capella performance.
A short intermission occurred in order to dine, then the show resumed with a tale acted out by several of
the members of the court. The tale began with Sir Lancelot, acted by sophomore Alex Shelton, receiv-ing news of an invasion of the throne by a wicked sorceress senior Alyssa Soehlke and her minion, senior Garrett Libbra. Most of the story was spent detail-ing his time trying to get to the castle. When the and Libbra finally arrived, Sir Lancelot was no where to be seen, and instead, Master Antonio of Napoli, played by Rex Chapman, and King of England, senior Cody Ray, defended the court from the antagonists and a sword fight ensued. After several minutes of sword fighting, the enemies were defeated, and the fashion-ably late Sir Lancelot arrives and receives the credit for the defending of the castle.
The end of the play was accompanied with multiple tracks that clearly were meant to spread the holiday cheer, such as the final song, “Silent Night” by Franz Gruder, a traditional song for this time of year. The atmosphere and the good times had at this year’s Mad-rigals was a definitive way to start off the season.
(Photo Credit: marthastewart.com, Darby Todd, Haewon Jung)
The Royal court reconvenes for the 34th annual Madri-gals [email protected]
2 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011OPINIONS
signatures will be verified through a phone call or personal interview.
Letters may be submitted to Room 608, mailed to OTHS Publications, 600 S. Smiley St., O’Fallon, IL 62269, or e-mailed to [email protected]. If excessive editing is needed, the letter will be returned to the author for approval. The Prowler reserves the right to edit any letter for grammatical errors, libelous content, or space limitations.
The Prowler is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the Illinois High School Press Association. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Ser-vice. The Prowler is printed by the Edwardsville In-telligencer of Edwardsville, Ill.
Editorial staff:Emma GatewoodEditor-in-Chief, News Editor
Emily LoveFeatures Editor
Kameron JohnsonSports Editor
Tyler KlausPhotos and Web
Editor
Megan IveyCopy Editor
Mycal HurleyEntertainment
Editor
Connor HolzingerBusiness Manager
General Staff:
Ellie Edwards
Sarah Hesse
Dylan Highley
Dianiche Baxton
Faculty Adviser
Ashlee Heady
The O’Fallon Township High School newspaper, The Prowler, is part of the educational curriculum of O’Fallon District 203.
Although the paper is a class activity, OTHS students may submit materials, such as stories, photography, graphics, or art, for publication consideration. Students should bring any submissions to Room 608. Submissions may be edited for content, length and grammar.
If written, staff editorials will not be signed and will reflect the opinion of the majority of the staff members. Commentaries and columns, on the other hand, will be signed and reflect the individual writer’s views. Any person with an interest in the OTHS community is encouraged to submit letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. All
Contributors: TJ Price, Haewon Jung
As each year comes to an end, we always come to the conclusion that the following year will be different and a miraculous change will enter our lives.
Common themes for these resolutions include losing weight and studying harder. Though these are all changes that are important in our daily lives, they are also impractical.
To set a goal so broad as simply losing weight seems impractical as well as unfair to ask of one’s self. A failure to be realistic is the primary reason why our resolutions fail, and we are left feeling as though nothing we do can ever be accomplished.
So in order to fulfill your wishes and make your next year better than the last, take baby steps and gradually ease into your set goal.
Do you want to lose weight? Do not run, but walk a short distance enjoying the scenery that surrounds your neighborhood. Use the stairs in-stead of the elevator while shopping at the mall.
In order to lose weight, you must make it enjoyable and work at a pace that is comfortable to you. Work with a partner, one who is reliable and allows you to be you.
Small competition may also give you inspira-tion to fully endure a work out that you might have half way done alone.
When making resolutions, we often lack a
sense of vision. If you’re not happy with the life you are living, use your new change as a gateway to a new life you can be proud of.
“Live! Laugh! Love!” are not just simply three words we paint on kitchen walls; they are phi-losophies that create a well-balanced lifestyle that better us as individuals.
Live life as if every day is your last. Enjoy today and forget the past. Do not worry about tomorrow, for it will be here sooner than you know. If you are too busy looking at what’s ahead of you, you will miss opportunities that are right in front of you.
We must also develop relationships in order to function, but that does not include people who take advantage of you. Instead, do not be afraid to make new friends and keep your family close to your heart. Before you are able to love another, you must first love your self.
Living a life without regrets is something we should all strive for. We should take risks and enjoy the ride
There is one simple solution to change the unhappy lifestyle that you may live day in and day out. Get over it! Life is too short, too fragile and too exciting to mope about the past.
In a few years, or just a matter of months, for the first time in our young adolescent years, we will be in complete control of our own fates.
For the first time we will be in control of almost every aspect of our lives, from what we eat to who we build relationships with. For the first time for a long time you will decide if you succeed or fail.
It may sound intimidating, and it should, but every living thing on earth has to endure this process we call life, the only difference is it is now your time.
Each year, companies spend millions of dollars advertising during the holiday season.
Little children get wrapped up in their wish lists and parents stress over their budgets. But is this really what Christmas is about?
One night, my family was gathered around the TV watching a Lifetime movie called “Dear Santa.”
It may of been kind of a “chick flick,” but it really got me think-ing about the real meaning of Christ-mas. It helped me realize that you do not need to totally push out the materialistic things, but have a balance between materialistic gifts and the gifts that actually require some sacrifice other than swiping a piece of plastic.
On top of the movie “Dear Santa,” I found some inspiration from Urban Dictionary. Yes, I know that is a weird place to find inspiration, but I was trying to find a definition about Christmas.
On Urban Dictionary, they have user submit-ted definitions of almost anything.
When I searched Christmas, most of the definitions seemed to mention the receiving of presents, the stressfulness of the holiday season, the increase of spending, and a time for great sales.
While all those are probably accurate defini-tions, it is heart breaking that most people see Christmas as a time to spend money and try to make people happy with gifts that are not from
the heart.Each year, for the past couple of years, I have
made at least two Christmas wishes that don’t rely on money and would instead help me realize true joy and happiness.
Last year my two wishes were for a white Christmas and for my brother to be able to come home from Florida. While driving to the airport to pick up my brother, it started to snow.
Last Christmas was one of my favorite Christ-mases, not because of the presents under the tree, but because of the true gifts I received that made me truly thankful.
This year, my two Christmas wishes are to help someone find true happiness and to be able to spend a day with one of my best friends laugh-
ing, smiling, and being stress free for once.
I encourage you to make at least a couple Christmas wishes that do not deal with materialistic or tangible gifts. I can almost guarantee that if you search deep within yourself and find some-thing that you have always wanted, not necessarily something you can buy at a store, this will be one of the best Christmas you will have.
Just try making a wish from the heart and see how it turns out.
Also, try giving a gift to someone from the heart without spending anything. There are many
other ways to show someone you truly care with-out buying them jewelry or a video game.
A gift from the heart will always last forever and will mean a lot more in the long run.
I hope you do not find Christmas stressful and you do not get wrapped up in the materialistic items of Christmas.
Have a Merry Christmas while being sur-rounded by people who love you and care about you.
(Photo Credit: Philip Brooker/The Miami Herald/MCTcampus.com)
The true value of [email protected]
“I can almost guarantee that if you search deep within yourself and find something that you have always wanted, not necessarily something you can buy at a store, this will be one of the best Christmas you will have.”
Starting the New Year off right
“Live life as if every day is your last. Enjoy today and forget the past. Do not worry about tomorrow, for it will be here sooner than you know. If you are too busy looking at what’s ahead of you, you will miss opportunities that are right in front of you.”
3THE PROWLERDEC. 15, 2011 FEATURES
Letters for [email protected]
How to give back this holiday season
How do others countries and reli-gions celebrate the holiday seasonEmma [email protected]
December Students of the Month; Long and [email protected]
Dear SantaFor Christmas
I would like an Easy Bake Oven, a Pillow Pet, some new mov-ies, and a lot of coloring books. I’ve been good all year. I did all my chores, and listened to my parents. This would make me very happy.
Love, a little kid.
He’s making a list and check-ing it twice. All year children try to be on their best behavior to make sure they get on Santa’s “good” list. Every year these kids write letters to the North Pole stating their Christmas wishes in anticipation that on Christmas day they will wake up with all the gifts they asked for under the tree.
In these letters they say cute things about how they did good in school, didn’t argue with their siblings, and shared with classmates. They hope that they will not receive a big lump of coal in their stockings on Christmas morning.
Around age nine, children usually stop believ-ing in Jolly Old Saint Nick and understand that there parents are responsible for the presents.
After this, Christmas isn’t the same for these kids. It’s all about the gifts, not the holidays. The un-revealed secret that Santa Clause isn’t
real should be kept from children. For as long as possible. Be-cause believ-ing in Santa helps keep the true meaning of the holiday close to home. After they stop believing, children stop being good all year and know their parents will give them
gifts no matter how they behave. You are never too old to believe in Santa, his
true spirit is out there watching over us ever day.
(Photo Credit: Thomas James Hurst/ MCT-campus.com)
At OTHS, being nominated for Student of the Month is a huge achievement.
Seniors Brady Page and Danielle Long are well beyond their years, excelling in many activities and personal acquisitions which makes them perfect candidates for December’s Students of the Month.
Page and Long have participated in many school events and activities.
Page, our Student Body President, has been serving in Student Council his entire high school career. He has also been involved in Blizzard, SADD, Livesavers and FBLA.
Long has made a name for herself at OTHS as well, being a part of National Honor’s Society, Thespian Socitey, French club and Inter-act club.
What both of these students share is their love for music. This passion is shown by the long list activities Long and Page engage in.
Page is involved in many OTHS band programs, including Marching Band (where he stands as the tuba section leader), IMEA jazz band, jazz ensemble, jazz combo and wind ensemble.
Also, Page played in the brass section for Madrigals, played bass guitar for the spring musical pit, and has been a consistent performer of Frolics each year of high school.While Page performed his music at OTHS events, Long was displaying her musical talent on stage.
Long has been in the spring musical, Frolics and Madrigals as well. She is also an avid partici-pator in OTHS choir, singing for both the jazz and show choirs.
As if their school activities didn’t keep them preoccupied, December’s SOTM have priorities outside of OTHS. Page volunteers at Anderson Hospital, participates in Relay for Life, plays for his older brother’s instrumental jazz quartet, called The Yard Dawgs, and is a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ youth group.
In Long’s spare time, she takes a number of vo-cal, piano and dance lessons. She also has worked in modeling and acting, including St. Louis Fashion Week.
She has volunteered her time for United Meth-odist Church Bible School and the Turkey Hill
Grange drama camp.
Long and Page are ecstatic to be named this title. Page stated, “It is an unexpected honor to be selected. I am definitely looking forward to using the great parking space.”
When being asked the greatest thing about be-ing SOTM, Long replied “Being named Student of the Month is a validation of all the effort I have invested in my high school career. It is an immense honor.”
Page has great things to say about the school. He commented, “I have really enjoyed my four years at OTHS. In addition to the strong
academ-ics, the school has given me the oppor-tunity to develop leader-ship and commu-nication skills, pursue my interest in music and meet some fantastic students and teachers
along the way.”However, this does not mean the two do
not have ideas on improving our facility. Long wished our music and art programs (choir espe-cially) allocated more funds.
She followed up by saying “While I under-stand the school’s current monetary situation, I still feel that the arts should not be the first de-partments affected. Music and art offer creative outlets for students.”
Page wishes to offer students of OTHS more school activities, such as a winter dance. He hinted at the progress, saying “ The Student Council is currently trying to coordinate a date for a casual second semester dance.”
After high school, both students have big dreams. Page plans furthering his education in business/human resources, attending McKendree University or SLU. Long wishes to advance even further in her music career by majoring in vocal performance at either St. Olaf College or the Curtis Institute of Music.
With transcripts such as these, December’s SOTM undoubtedly spark determination and well-suit as respectful role models for the student body. Whatever school or major, we can expect huge success from Page and Long in the future.
(Photo Credit: Emma Gatewood)
Christmas is the season of giving. So, why not give back to the com-munity?
These days, everyone is so caught up with material things and gifts around Christmas time. It is almost like the holiday has lost its mean-ing. Christmas is supposed to be about being thankful for what you have and not taking things for granted.
A way to give back is by vol-unteering your time or donating money or things you no longer use. During the holiday season, many charities and organizations hold collection drives. There are also many shelters around the St. Louis metropolitan area that ask for volunteers with various activities.
There are many places in our area asking for donations as well.
The O’Fallon food pantry is always in need of food, especially during the holidays. They collect canned goods, pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal, and most non-perishable items. If you would like to donate to the food pantry, it is located in the back of the O’Fallon Township Building at 801 E. State Street.
Another organization that helps many families, especially during the holidays, is the Salvation Army. You may see them around at many gro-cery stores and malls ringing bells and collecting
money. On top of that, on their website, you can donate money from a credit/debit card to a virtual kettle. They also collect clothing items, furniture, household goods, and even cars. If you feel like donating your time to the Salvation Army, you can join over 3,000,000 other volun-teers by visiting volunteermatch.org, which finds volunteer jobs in your area, based on what you
like to do, your talents, and your interests.
One other great place that needs dona-tions is the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. For years, they have been col-lecting new, unwrapped toys for children to ensure that every child has a toy to open for Christmas. If you would like to donate money, visit toysfortots.org. If you would rather donate a new, unwrapped toy, there are drop off lo-
cations at Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us, located in Fairview Heights across from St. Clair Square, or you can donate them at the O’Fallon Police Department public safety building (across from the YMCA) until Wednesday, December 21st.
There are many people in need, especially around the holidays. In these tough economic times, many families are struggling. By volunteering your time or donating, you are helping someone and it probably means the world to them. Be fortunate for what you have and remember things could be worse. So go out there and get involved! Happy Holidays!
(Photo Credit: Amanda McCoy/Biloxi Sun Herald/MCT)
There are many different holiday traditions; which depend on a person’s cultural
background. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana
Karenga, who wanted African Americans to have a holiday that was about their culture and his-tory. There are 7 principles of Kwanzaa,
- Umoja (Unity) - To maintain unity in family, nation, and community,
- Kujichagulia (Self- Determination)- To maintain yourself,
- Ujima (Responsibility)- To maintain the community together and to help others,
- Ujamaa (Family)- To believe in family,- Nia (Purpose)- To build and develop the
community together,- Kuumba (Creativity)- To do as much as you
can to make the community more beautiful and beneficial,
- Imani (Faith)- To believe in parents, teachers, leaders and righteousness struggles.
These principles are usually displayed by seven candles mounted on a base that repre-sents Africa.
People of the Jewish faith celebrate Hannukkah. Hannukkah is tradition-ally celebrated with a menorah, that holds eight
candles. On the first night one candle is lit and on each
successive night another one is lighted until all of the candles are lit. Each candle is lit by a ninth candle called the shamash; it is only used to light the eight candles mounted in the menorah. On the first night of Hanukkah there are three bless-ings said before any of the candles are lit.
The blessings are "Baruch ata Hashem, Elokenu melech ha'olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanuk-kah."
(Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His com-mandments and has commanded us to light the Hanukkah lights.)
"Baruch ata Hashem, Elokenu melech ha'olam, she'asah nisim la'avotenu, bayamim hahem bazeman hazeh."
(Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has doen miracles for our fathers in days gone by, at this time.) and
"Baruch ata Hashem, Elokenu melech
ha'olam, shehecheyanu, vekiyemanu vehigi'anu lazeman hazeh."
(Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has given us life, and has sus-tained us, and has brought us to this time.)
On the other nights only the first two blessings are said.
In Belgium children believe that St. Nicholas brings them presents on horseback. So children leave hay, carrots and water on December 6.
In China, people decorate their houses with paper lanterns.
In Denmark, children believe that while St. Nicholas brings toys in a sleigh that elves, called
Juul Nisse, live in their attics. So instead of milk and cookies they leave out rice pudding and saucers of milk.
In Italy, gifts aren’t exchanged until January 6, the day that is tradition-
ally recognized as the day the Wise Men reached baby Jesus.
In Sweden on Saint Luciaís Day, December 13, the oldest daughter wakes at dawn, puts on a white robe and a ring of seven candles in her hair then wakes up the rest of the house and serves them coffee, buns and cookies.
Another Swedish tradition is JULKAPP, where presents are wrapped in multiple layers of paper, and the longer it takes to unwrap the better the JULKAPP.
For Austra-lians, Christ-mas falls in the middle of summer so many festivities happen outside. A popular event called Carols by Candlelight takes place outdoors where people sing carols and carry candles.
Christian children in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh. They decorate their houses with posters, paper chains, lanterns and ever-greens and they decorate their Christmas trees with lanterns, flowers and red paper chains.
In Ethiopia, the Christmas holiday is cele-brated on January 7. All families go to church and they wear white shamma’s , a traditional thin white cotton wrap.
(Photo Credit: Scott Fisher, Gary Malerba/Detroit Free Press, Annie O’Neill/Detroit Free Press/MCTcampus.com christmas.lovetoknow.com)
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga,
Hannukkah is traditionally celebrated with a menorah, that holds eight candles.
In Sweden the oldest daughter wakes at dawn, puts on a white robe and a ring of seven candles in her hair then wakes up the rest of the house and serves them coffee, buns and cookies.
In China people decorate their houses with posters, paper chains, lanterns
4 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011FEATURES
OTHS Newsfeed
~See any funny Facebook or Twitter posts, want to see them on Newsfeed. Submit
them to [email protected]
Pop Culture Showdown
Question of the Month
This months Holiday themed Pop Culture Show-
down was between the two Grinch girls lacrosse coaches; Mr. Riddle and Mr. Garrison, and two Christ-mas loving lacrosse players; Megan Laney and Kelly Eastman.
Smack talking began way before the first question was asked, this showdown will sure be one to remember.
The girls where brushing up on Holiday facts in the IMC before the competition, they where not going to let two people not fond of Christmas let them beat them.
Ready for the first question, When is Santa Claus’s, also know as St. Nick’s, birthday?
The coaches knew this one right of the bat, the girls debated and came up with the answer December 25. The correct answer is De-cem-ber 6, the
teachers where right.Next question, how many reindeer drive
Santa’s sleigh? This was an easy question for both teams. the correct answer is nine. The coaches are ahead by one, with a score of 2
to 1.Third question is tricky for both teams,
What are two popular Christmas colors after red and green?
The girls get one of the colors, but the coaches get both right with silver and gold.
The coaches, who apparently hate Christmas, receive two points, while the girls receive one point.
This question has to do with a popular soft drink, what soft drink made the concept of Santa Claus popular in the states?
This should be an easy one, and both bickering teams get it right with Coca-Cola. The Grinch act-ing coaches are still in the lead, 5
to a lousy 3 points for the girls.
Fifth question, halfway through, How long does the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah last?
Counting the candles in their heads, the teaches come up with an odd number of 7, while the girls come up with the correct answer of 8. Over-come with excitement, like a two-year-old on Christmas morning, the girls trail the Grinch's by 2 points.
The next question does not help the girls catch up because both teams get it right.
What is the traditional spin-ning top game played during Hanukkah, The Dreidel. The Coaches still lead by one point.
Who does not love Christmas songs? Well, apparently the girls do not listen to
them enough because they cannot answer, What Christmas song has the words, “Tis
the season to be jolly?” The coaches get it right with Deck the Halls. I am starting to think the girls are the real Grinch’s here, as the trail the coaches by two points again.
Eighth question, What percents of Ameri-cans do not have a Christmas tree in their
house? The coaches guess 32 percent but then change it to 30 percent. The girls guess 10 percent.
The Coaches are closer with 30 but the correct answer was 32 percent. The coaches pull ahead by 3 points, making the score
eight to five.Last question, How many states are
Christmas trees grown in. The girls finally get a point with question,
but it comes a little to late. The answer is all 50 states, the girls guessed 48, and coaches went low with 40.
The final score was the coaches, who hate Christ-mas, eight, and the girls, who apparently love Christ-mas, six.
This was one of the loud-est Pop Culture Showdowns ever, both teams where really in the Holiday spirit.
But the Coaches beat their lacrosse players by two points.
(Photo Credit: Tyler Klaus)
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What’’s the best Christmas Present you have ever received?
“My best friend Dannie was born on
Christmas, so I guess I would say that
she’s the best Christmas gift I’ve ever
gotten!” - Junior Kristin Doerfler
My puppy! - Junior Laura Gentry
Usher tickets! - Junior Megan Delia
A Pikachu, PokeDex, and three PokeBalls -Freshman
Jack Gentry
A special edition deluxe set of all seven Harry Potter books -Junior
Morgan Hale
An American girl doll I got when I was seven - Sophomore Jessica Soehlke
5THE PROWLERDEC. 15, 2011 ETC.
Etc.Holiday Recipes
Directions :~Preheat oven to 350ºF.~Spread almonds on cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes .
~Let almonds cool . ~Combine all ingredients until well mixed .~Serve with crackers or apple slices .
Neiman Marcus DipIngredients : ~1/4 cup sliced almonds~4 slices bacon (cooked, crumbled, & cooled)
~1 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese~1 green onion (thinly sliced)~1/2 cup mayonnaise~1 pinch of salt
Here are a few recipes perfect for any holiday event! They are fancy enough to please everyone and easy enough to
make at the last minute!
Baked Macaroni and Ingredients :~1 (8oz) package elbow macaroni~2 tablespoons butter
~2 tablespoons all-purpose flour~2 cups milk~1/2 teaspoon salt~1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper~1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper~1 (8oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shreddedDirections :
~Prepare pasta according to package directions . Keep warm .~Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth . Cook, whisk-
ing constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or
until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, black and red pepper, 1 cup shredded cheese, and
cooked pasta .~Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese .
~Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving .
Decadent Chocolate Pie
Ingredients :
~1 premade graham cracker pie crust
~3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
~1/2 cup butter
~3/4 cup granulated sugar
~3 eggs
~1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
~2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) rasberries
~1 tablespoon rasberry-flavored liqueur
~1/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions :
~Preheat oven to 375ºF.
~In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter uncov-
ered on High for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Beat in
granulated sugar and eggs with whisk . Beat in cocoa .
~Pour chocolate mixture into graham cracker crust . Bake about 25 minutes
or until top of chocolate mixture just forms a thin crust (pie will not be com-
pletely set in center) . Cool 20 minutes .
~In blender, place rasberries, liq
ueur and powdered sugar. Cover; blend on me-
dium speed 5 to 10 seconds or until well mixed and rasberri
es are pureed .
Press through fine strainer to remove seeds, and d
rizzle over cooled pie .
Pigs in a BlanketIngredients :
~1 can refrigerated crescent rolls~4 hot dogs~Condiments
Directions :~Preheat oven to 375ºF. Separate dough into 8 triangles .
~Cut each hot dog in half, crosswise . Place each hot-dog half on the wide end
of the roll and roll it up in the dough .~Space the hot-dog rolls evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper .
~Bake approximately 13-15 minutes until the rolls are brown and flaky.
~Let cool for a few minutes .~Add condiments and enjoy!
Holiday Punch
Ingredients :
~1/3 cup white sugar
~1 quart cranberry juice
~2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
~3 tablespoons almond extract
~1 (2 liter) bottle ginger a
le
~1 package cranberries
Directions :
~In large container, mix together su
gar, cranberry juice, and almond extract. Refrigerate
for one day.
~Freeze a bag of cranberries
over night .
~To serve, pour juice mixture into a punch bowl and stir in
ginger ale .
~Pour the bag of cranberries i
nto the punch instead of ice to add
decoration and flavor!
Ingredients :
~1/2 cup diced pepperoni
~1/2 cup shredded part skim mozarella chee
se
~1/4 teaspoon dried oreg
ano
~1 egg (separated)
~1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated cre
scent rolls
Directions:
~In a small bowl, combine pepperoni, cheese, or
egano, and egg yolk . In anot
her small bowl,
whisk egg white until foamy; set aside . Separate cres
cent dough into four rectangles; seal
perforations .
~Spread pepperoni mixture over each
rectangle to within 1/4 inc
h of edges . Roll up jelly-
roll style, starting with a short s
ide; pinch seems to seal . Cu
t each into six slices .
~Place cut side down on greased baking sheet
s; brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375 for
12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm .
Pepperoni Pinwheels
Photo Credits: MCTcampus
7THE PROWLERDEC. 15, 2011 CENTER SPREAD6 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011CENTER SPREAD
Christmas Girft Ideas...
For Friends....
For Girlfriend....
For Mom.... For Boyfriend....
For Dad....
For Siblings....
Date night gift of movie tickets, dinner reservations, con-cert tickets, etc.
Jewelry: rings, bracelets, necklace, earrings, etc.
Gift basket including lotions, bath soap, body
spray, etc.
Fun picture frame with a picture of the two of you.
Videogames: Call of Duty, 2K, Mod-ern Warefare 3,
etc.
Tool kit, BBQ kit, leaf vlower/snow blow-er: any household fix-it
things.
A new wallet.World series stuff.
Tickets to a concert for both of you. Attire from their
favorite college.
Pillow Pet : the perfect pal
Memory Jar : Write memories of things you cher-
ish about your friend on little pieces of paper then decorate a
jar and fill it up with the memo-ries and some little pictures
Gift card to their favorite place or try iTunes, gas, food cards.
Professional pic-tures of you and your siblings.
Appreciation book to let her know what
she does for you.
Snapback: from his favorite sports team.
Make a CD with all his favorite songs.
Tickets to a sports game for the two of
you.
Make them a fleece blanket.
Make up kit for your sister.
Clothes from there favorite stores.
Gift basket, filled with candles, soaps, bath stuff, candies, etc.
Pajamas to snuggle up in at home
9THE PROWLERDEC. 15, 2011 ENTERTAINMENT
Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
It’s a Wonderful Life
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
ElfFrosty the Snowman
Home Alone
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
The Santa Clause
A Christmas Carol
Miracle on 34th Street
“This is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. No toys, nothing but Peter, Kate, Buzz, Megan, Linnie and Jeff. And my aunt and my cousins. And if he has time, my Uncle Frank. Okay?”
Christmas movie quote matching
“ No, no. I mean “Jingle Bells”. You know, deck them halls and all that stuff. No, no, no. You don’t get it at all. I mean “Jingle Bells”. You know, Santa Claus, and ho-ho-ho, and mistletoe... and presents for pretty girls...”
“We’re kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by head-ing out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.”
“Look, Daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
“It’s just like Santa’s workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms... and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me...”
“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
“It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came with-out packages, boxes, or bags.”
“Happy birthday! Hey, I said my first words. But... But snowmen can’t talk. Ha ha ha, come on now, what’s the joke? Could I really be alive?”
“If I live to be 100, I’ll never forget that big snow storm a couple of years ago. The weather closed in and, well you might not believe it, but the world almost missed Christmas. Oh, excuse me, call me Sam. What’s the matter? Haven’t you ever seen a talking snow-man before?”
“Charlie, stay away from those things. They’re reindeer, you don’t know where they’ve been. They all look like they’ve got key lime disease.”
“God bless us, everyone!”
“Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don’t you see? It’s not just Kris that’s on trial, it’s everything he stands for. It’s kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.”
B
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K
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a.
b.c.
d.
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f.
g. h.
i.j.
k. l.M
(Photo Credit: amazon.com, dan-dare.org, alt.tnt.tv, rottentomatoes.com ,trail-ershut.com, MCTcampus.com)
Buddy the elf, played by Will Ferrell, embarks on an adventure from the North Pole to the city of New York, in an attempt to reach out to the father he never knew. Throughout the comedy, Buddy meets different people and shows them how to get into the holiday spirit.
Starring James Stew-art and Donna Reed, this 1946 movie is a timeless classic. The bittersweet post-war setting provides the characters the chance to experience hardship and in the end know that life is truly wonderful.
Based on the children’s book by Dr. Seuss, Jim Carrey plays the Grinch in this 2000 remake. The land of Whoville is where the story takes place and the Who’s love Christmas. The Grinch’s plan is to steal it away because of the horrible child-hood memories he has with the holiday.
From the director of Valen-tine’s Day, New Year’s Eve is another movie with a very elaborate cast of over 15, who are all spending New Year’s Eve in the Big Apple. Some people you will see in the movie are: Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michelle, Sara Jessica Parker, Zac Efron, Halle Berry, and many more.
Set in the 1940s, the story is about Ralphie a 9-year-old boy who only wants one thing for Christmas, (Red Ryder 200-shot range model BB rifle). Awaiting Christmas day, Ralphie and his little brother go through many obstacles, but his attempt to show others that he deserves the rifle never leaves his mind.
Starring Tom Hanks as over five characters, the movie is based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. A young boy starting to doubt Christmas, embarks on an adventure to the North Pole to Santa’s house. While on the magical train, he learns about different people and why you can’t let the holiday spirit escape you.
1(a.), 2(d), 3(j.), 4(k.), 5(e.), 6(b.), 7(i.), 8(f.), 9(g.), 10(c.), 11(l.), 12(h.)
8 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011ENTERTAINMENT
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
- FROM THE PROWLER
STAFF
TunesO
Under the Mistletoe
Glee The Music, The Christmas Album,
Volume 2Christmas
Michael Buble Justin BieberThe Glee Cast
TOP 5 CHRISTMAS SONGS OF ALL-TIME
TOP 3 ALBUMS THIS SEASON
MORE GREAT HOLIDAY ALBUMS
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
ClausJimmy Boyd
White Christmas Bing Crosby
Jingle BellRock
Bobby Helms
The Chipmunk Song The Chipmunks
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer Gene Autry
1- 2-
5-4-
3-
A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Christmas With Deno
Dean MartinChristmas
Interpretations Boyz II Men
December Song George Michaels
The girls’ cross country team sets school history once again, placing 15th at the 3A IHSA
State Cross Country meet on Nov. 5. Not only were they able to
finish the highest ever at the state meet in school history, but also during their post season, they swept any team that crossed their path, fetching the conference, regional and sectional titles.
“The success we had this year came from the great amount of dedication from not only our seniors, but all the girls,” said Head Coach Neil James.
The team was very consistent, being able to improve as the season progressed and domi-nated the Metro East area was just the first step.
As the post-season shifted into full gear, the girls didn’t just run to win; they wanted to see how hard they could push each other during each race. After sweeping the conference title in both the varsity and junior varsity races, the girls were not finished.
They sustained their ground the next three weeks, winning the regional and sectional titles by an outstanding amount.
Next up was the state meet, which will mark the 11th time in the past 13 seasons O'Fallon has qualified for state as a team.
The girls were confident heading into the race consisting of over 200 runners, and crossed the finish line knowing they had given it their all. Moments later, they realized they had just made school history by placing 15th in the state meet.
The girls’ team had been the biggest the pro-
gram had ever seen, with total of 57 girls. The team had a lot of depth, which allowed
them to rest many of their prominent runners for the post season. Sophomore Sydney Neal and senior Kaylee Schmitz were able to carry out a great one-two punch, racking up low points for
the team. While
sophomore Sam Lapp, fresh-men Angela Buch, senior Kaleca Mobley, junior Jordan Thompson and freshman Tami Cardenas fin-ished in a tight pack ensuring the team’s suc-cessful season.
“Seeing the girls run and dominate the course has always been an enjoyment,” Coach James
said. “Their hard work during the summer and dedication, paid off in the end.”
As the off season begins, the team has gathered together setting goals and expectations in hopes of having another successful season.
In spite of the team losing two key seniors, Schmitz and Mobley, they have their eyes set on another record breaking season next year in order to defend their post-season titles. Not only are they training to defend their titles but also to finish in the Top 10 at the state meet.
(Photo Credit: TJ Price)
10 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011SPORTS
O’Fallon hockey swings into gear as 2011 season starts
It’s winter season which means hockey swings into full gear as the season starts off
well for the boys. They are currently second place
behind Althoff in the Mississippi Valley South division standings.
This team is 4-3 to start off the first seven games of the season. They have a lot of talent on this team, but a few of these players are still very young and continue to improve.
“I could not be happier with the all-around team performance; we have a lot of leadership and have really come together this season,” Coach Wilson said.
They have some talented offensive players like junior Austin Graff with two goals (Assists+Goals) and junior Henry Hunsaker with two goals as well.
The major issue with this team seems to be inconsistency. They win big games, then come up empty in others.
The Panthers have had a goalie situa-tion while still trying to figure out who will be the starting goaltender. As of now, the goalie for the Panthers is Justin Lewis with a .867 save percentage.
This position can change as the season progresses. Lewis has been doing a great job at the goalie position, but a hockey team is not made up of one man.
Although there are offensive stars, the wait is still on to see more goals put up in games.
If the offense starts to get on fire and Lewis continues to play like he is, then look out for the Panther hockey team to be a threat in the division.
Dylan [email protected]
OTHS girls’ bowling starts a new season
The girls’
bowling team is off to an amazing start, standing with a 3-0 record with a third place win at the Kahok tournament in Collinsville and sec-ond at the Taylorville tournament.
After not qualifying for state last season, the team hoped to work on being more positive when going into high stress situations.
They remain confident when morale is low and so far, it looks like the team came a long way to improve their standings.
When asked about what expectations the team had for this season, sophomore Kristina Greyn-olds and senior Abby Solomon said that they hope to “make it to state and win the Panther Invitational in January.”
“We’re really good at cheering each other on and keeping the team’s spirit up even though we don’t meet eye-to-eye sometimes,” said Solomon.
The girls’ next game is also at home at the St. Clair Bowl against Granite City on December 15, and their State is scheduled to be in February in Rockford.
(Photo Credit: TJ Price)
Panthers jump shot there way to first place
The O’Fallon Panthers tipped off their season with a title at the the Alton
Tip Off Classic.The Panthers showed their dominance on the
court by sweeping through three non-conference teams. Carbondale, Vashon, and Riverview Gardens all stepped up to take on the Panthers and all fell to the same fate.
Carbondale posed as a small threat as O’Fallon blew past them controlling every aspect of the game crushing the Terriers’ hopes early with an agonizing 80-50 defeat.
The next two rounds showed the Panthers’ true talent . An 82- 81 borderline victory against Vashon occurred after Todd Porter Jr. snatched Elijah Kinnmon’s rebound attempt-ing at a last minute shot to win the game. Porter scored the game winning point with three seconds left to spare.
The Panthers started their regular season with a four game win streak, host-ing Granite City on the Dec. 2 home opener.
“Practice this week has focused on getting our team better. We have tried to work a lot defen-sively on taking away what Granite City and Centralia like to do--they both like to slow down the game by being very deliberate on offense,” said Coach Rick Gibson.
Coach Gibson’s game plan went into full force against both Granite as well as Centralia. He unleashed his defense to rush his opponents and cause turnovers allowing O’Fallon to run the game on the scoreboard.
“We have been trying to fine tune the offense as we will face two very different styles from what we saw last week in the Alton tournament,” said-Coach Gibson.
Gibson was looking for his offense to show up and they did. In both games combined, they outscored their op-ponents by 30 plus points.
The Panthers’ un-defeated season came to an end last Friday at the hands of Col-linsville giving them their first loss as well as first conference loss of the year.
Though the Panthers are hurt from an unexpected loss, they have two chances of redemption. Right after Christmas break on Jan. 11, O’Fallon will be on the road to play the East. St. Louis Flyers. Until then, the Panthers have plenty of time to prepare both physically and mentally to play a highly anticipated game of high competition basketball.
Kameron [email protected]
Seniors Michael Jackson and Isaac Bouquet sprint back after a fast break.
The 2011- 2012 boys’ swim season kicked off on
Monday November 28th after a very challenging tryout.
The O’Fallon Varsity swim team is led by head coach Kim Eddy and assistant coaches Christina Buehler and Mary Peterson.
Head coach Eddy said, “We have a lot of talent on the team, and I am expecting them to have a very successful season.”
This year’s team consists of 17 young men.
The boys’ swim team practices five nights a week at the local YMCA in O’Fallon.
Their practices are run with very high in-tensity thanks to their coaches who are always challenging them to push themselves.
“Giving up or slacking off is not an option,” said Coach Eddy.
Their practices consists of non-stop swimming and conditioning in order to prepare for their upcoming competitive season.
Heading into the season, sophomore Patrick
Hesse said, “Swimming isn’t just a sport; it is a lifestyle in which one is always striving to achieve perfection.”
Their competitive season started on Saturday December 10th, in Springfield, IL in a dual meet against Sacred Heart Griffin.
The team faired well in their first meet of the season.
When the meet came to an end, the results were a tie between the O’Fallon Pan-thers and Sacred Heart Griffin.
The team is scheduled to partake in nine swim meets this season excluding sectionals and state.
Eight of the nine swim meets will be away meets.
On February 4th 2012, the boys’ swim team will be hosting their annual
home swim meet at the O’Fallon YMCA. The meet kicks off at 2 o’clock P.M.Come out and support your O’Fallon Panthers
this season! (Photo Credit: Sarah Hesse)
The boys’ swim team is back [email protected]
Patrick Hesse and Michael Slaughter pose during a brief break at the Springfield Invitational Meet on Dec. 11.
The girls pose for a group photo after finishing 15th at the IHSA State Cross Country meet on Nov. 5th.
Lady Panther Runners finish outstanding [email protected]
11THE PROWLERDEC. 15, 2011 SPORTS
Starting the season off with 2 wins and 2 losses, the girls’ basketball
team is hopeful for the 2011-2012 season. With seven seniors, the Lady Panthers are gaining points on the court.
Senior Victoria Ham commented on the team saying,
“We have a lot of talent, we just need to keep practicing hard and keeping our eye on the postseason. We are all really close and there is lots of camaraderie on the team. We need to improve our skills and be more focused.”
The team lost their first game against Glen-wood but came back to win their second and third games against Alton and Granite City. Last Thursday night, they played against Collinsville at home but lost by a heart-breaking 48 to 46.
When asked what the biggest goal for the season is, Kaitlin Kendall said,
“We want to go far and work as a team.”
Mr. Massey com-mented on the season
saying, “Depending on how hard we play and how hard we work, we will have a chance to compete for the Southwestern Conference Champs. Our biggest challenge will be games against Edwardsville, and Belleville East and East
St. Louis will be a hard teams to beat. We have seven seniors which gives the team great leadership. We have a complete team of run-ners, tall girls, tremen-dous shooters and great defenders. We have a little bit of everything making great pieces to the puzzle. Our greatest weakness is our effort. If we don’t play hard, we are mediocre, but if we play hard we are really good and compete to win.”
The ladies’ next game is this Friday against Belleville East at 4:15 p.m.
Different from last year, this season is the longest for any O’Fallon team. They have great talent, so come out and support your O’Fallon Lady Panthers Basket-ball team.
(Photo Credit: Con-nor Holzinger)
Girls’ Basketball Starting Off a Steady [email protected]
Cardinals Acquire Matheny as New Manager
In late 2011, Tony LaRussa managed during one of the biggest
epic seasons in baseball history. In August, the Cardinals were down 10.5 games and ended up making the playoffs and went on to win the 2011 World Series.
After the seasons end, Tony LaRussa an-nounced his retirement, ending his career on top.
A few interviews were conducted for the job, and it was finally announced that Cardinals for-mer catcher Mike Matheny will take over as next year’s new skipper.
Cardinal club owner John Moze-liak contacted a few well-known managers for the job.
Some of the names that were contacted includ-ed Jose Oquendo (Cardinal third base coach), Terry Francona (Boston Red Sox’s manager), Ryne Sandburg (Phillies Triple A man-ager), and Joe Maddon (Devil Rays head coach).
This position was not an easy one to fill seeing as Tony LaRussa is one of the top three best man-agers in baseball history as far as wins go.
Tony served 33 years as a manager for three different teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011), Chicago White Sox (1979-1986), and the Oakland Athletics (1986-1995).
He has accomplished a lot in his career winning six pennants and three World Series titles.
Mike Matheny was the Cardinal catcher from 2000-2004, and he helped the Car-dinals make the 2004 World Series against Boston.
His Major League Baseball career lasted for 14 seasons as catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and the St. Louis Cardinals. In his career, he has won four gold gloves and has a career batting average of .239.
Matheny served on the Minor League Triple “A” Cardinal team as an instructor
preparing play-ers for the big leagues.
There are some who feel he is not the best for the job because he has never managed a team in Major League Baseball.
Matheny was chosen because owner John Mozeliak has wit-nessed first hand how much of a leader Matheny can be.
He has not ever filled the role of a manager, but has played with the Cardinals before, and his leadership is what carried the team in 2004 when they made the World Series. Matheny knows the Cardinals or-ganization better
than any of the other canidates for this job.
He has not only played for the team, but he has instructed players on the
Cardinals Triple A team on how to be suc-cessful in the big leagues.
(Photo credit: Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dis-patch/MCTcampus)
St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny talks with reporters in his office in the clubhouse for the first time after being introduced as the new Cardinals manager in a news conference at Busch Stadium.
Sophomore Blair Butler defends the ball while playing against the Collinsville Kahoks on December 8.
Boys’ Bowling Confident About Season
Last year, the boys’ bowling team held a fantastic record
and even qualified for the state competition. This year, the team has higher expectations and wants to prove how well they’ve gotten in preparation for this season. Boys’ varsity captain and senior Ryan O’Sullivan has high hopes for the team this year and looks forward to going to state.
“[This year] we expect to win the state title and go all the way; state title or nothing,” said O’Sullivan.
Currently, the boys’ team is 4-0 in their conference, taking first place and third place in two of their recent tournaments.
Not only is the team making a conscious effort to win it all, they are also trying to
maintain a positive atmosphere for the team to play in.
“I think we’re good at keeping each other up. We give each other support and compli-ments and this has helped to put us in the position we’re in today,” said senior Ryan
Greynolds.Despite some minor
shortcomings the team has head coach Mike Imes believes that the team can do great things this season.
“This season we expect to be confer-ence champions and to make a serious run at state,” said Imes.
The boys’ next game is home at St. Clair Bowl against Granite City on December 15 and their chance at state is scheduled to be on January 27 and 28.
(Phot Credit: Con-nor Holzinger)
Junior Brenden Picou lines up for his approach bowling against the Alton Redbirds on December 8.
Drew Wise, the senior captain of the O’Fallon wrestling team,
is in his 4th year of starting varsity and looks to lead the mat men to a winning season. Newly assigned to the 132 weight class, Wise is off to a good start with a team record of 4-1, and his own personal record of 7-1. Tak-ing second place at the Chatham Glenwood tournament as both an individual and as a team, this feat surely could not have been managed without Wise at the helm.
Having previously won the Ironman Award for perfect attendance at practices, tournaments and dual meets, Wise has also earned the award for most valuable wrestler and scholar wrestler. Wise is arguably the most decorated wrestler in the current varsity line up.
Wise attributes his athletic and
academic success to his older brother saying, “He set the bar pretty high, but I’ve made it my goal to try and out do him in every way.”
With his next wrestling meet to-morrow night at Collinsville , Drew’s record is almost sure to improve before he and the rest of the team venture up to the suburbs of Chicago to participate in the prestigious Minooka Duals. At the duals, Wise’s talent will be put to the test against some of the best wrestlers in the state.
Everyone has faith in him includ-ing Coach Glenn Exton, who says, “He’s one of the best wrestlers on the team and definitely has the best technique.”
With the great start that Wise is already off to this season, he is quickly becoming a wrestler that will demand the attention of anyone interest in wrestling.
Un-wise to take on the [email protected]
12 THE PROWLER DEC. 15, 2011PHOTOSTORY
O’Fallon.lights.up.the.night.
O’Fallon definitely has some holiday pride and The Prowler
decided to show it off! These houses spark more than an electricity bill--they
ignite the holiday spirit in all of us.
Merry Christmas!
Happy New-Year!
‘Tis the Season!
Deck the Halls!
Let it Snow!
Images taken by Connor Holzinger Emma Gatewood and Emily Love